These are the main of the Articles Upon which my Lord Chancellor desired the noble Lord that brought in these Articles, would sign to them with his hand, which my Lord Bristoll did presently Then the House did order that the Judges should, against Monday next, bring in their opinion, Whether these articles are treason, or no? and next they would know, Whether they were brought in regularly or no, without leave of the Lords’ House?

11th By barge to St Mary’s Creeke, where Commissioner Pett, (doubtful of the growing greatnesse of Portsmouth by the finding of those creekes there.) do design a wett docke at no great charge, and yet no little one, he thinks towards £10,000 And the place, indeed, is likely to be a very fit place when the King hath money to do it with.

13th I walked to the Temple, and there, from my cousin Roger, hear that the Judges have this day brought in their answer to the Lords, That the articles against my Lord Chancellor are not Treason, and to-morrow they are to bring in their arguments to the House for the same This day also the King did send by my Lord Chamberlain to the Lords, to tell them from him, that the most of the articles against my Lord Chancellor he himself knows to be false I met the Queene-Mother walking in the Pell Mell, led by my Lord St Alban’s And finding many coaches at the Gate, I found upon enquiry that the Duchesse is brought to bed of a boy, and hearing that the King and Queene are rode abroad with the Ladies of Honour to the Parke, and seeing a great crowd of gallants staying here to see their return, I also staid walking up and down By and by the King and Queene, who looked in this dress (a white laced waistcoate and a crimson short pettycoate, and her hair dressed à la negligence) mighty pretty, and the King rode hand in hand with her Here was also my Lady Castlemaine rode among the rest of the ladies but the King took methought, no notice of her, nor when she light, did any body press (as she seemed to expect, and staid for it,) to take her down, but was taken down by her own gentlemen She looked mighty out of humour, and had a yellow plume in her hat, (which all took notice of,) and yet is very handsome, but very melancholy nor did any body speak to her, or she so much as smile or speak to any body I followed them up into White Hall, and into the Queene’s presence, where all the ladies walked, talking and fiddling with their hats and feathers, and changing and trying one another’s by one another’s heads, and laughing But it was the finest sight to me, considering their great beautys, and dress, that ever I did see in all my life But, above all, Mrs Stewart in this dresse, with her hat cocked and a red plume, with her sweet eye, little Roman nose, and excellent taille, is now the greatest beauty I ever saw, I think, in my life, and, if ever woman can, do exceed my Lady Castlemaine, at least in this dress nor do I wonder if the King changes, which I verily believe is the reason of his coldness to my Lady Castlemaine.

14th This day I hear the Judges, according to order yesterday, did bring into the Lords House their reasons of their judgments in the business between my Lord Bristoll and the Chancellor, and the Lords do concur with the Judges that the articles are not Treason, nor regularly brought into the House, and so voted that a Committee should be chosen to examine them, but nothing to be done therein till the next sitting of this Parliament, (which is likely to be adjourned in a day or two,) and in the mean time the two Lords to remain without prejudice done to either of them.

15th Captain Grove come and dined with me He told me of discourse very much to my honour, both as to my care and ability, happening at the Duke of Albemarle’s table the other day, both from the Duke and the Duchesse themselves, and how I paid so much a year to him whose place it was of right, and that Mr Coventry did report this of me.

21st This day the Parliament kept a fast for the present unseasonable weather.

22nd To my Lord Crewe’s My Lord not being come home, I met and staid below with Captn Ferrers, who was come to wait upon my Lady Jemimah to St James’s, she being one of the four ladies that hold up the mantle at the christening this afternoon of the Duke’s child (a boy) In discourse of the ladies at Court, Captn Ferrers tells me that my Lady Castlemaine is now as great again as ever she was, and that her going away was only a fit of her own upon some slighting words of the King, so that she called for her coach at a quarter of an hour’s warning, and went to Richmond, and the King the next morning,